Yesterday, citing the necessity to “let the science determine the outcome,” NY Department of Health Commisioner (DOH) Nirav Shah wrote that the DOH “will require additional time to complete based on the complexity of the issues” in a letter to NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner, Joe Martens.

Shah closed his letter by stating, “Whatever the ultimate decision on [fracking] going ahead, New Yorkers can be assured that it will be pursuant to a rigorous review that takes the time to examine the relevant health issues.”

“As he notes, no comprehensive studies have been done to date and New York must do so before making a decision about fracking. We are confident that such a review will show that the costs of fracking in terms of public health are unacceptable.”

A recent webinar hosted by one of the outside peer reviewers of the delayed DOH study, though, reveals that the water here is a bit muddier than it appears on the surface.

Concerned Health Professionals of NY: DOH Review Fatally Flawed

“Three outside experts assisting New York with a health review of hydraulic fracturing say their work was completed more than a month ago,” Campbell wrote on Feb. 8.

One of those three reviewers was Richard “Dick” Jackson, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) professor and Chair of its Department of Environmental Health Sciences.

Jackson, according to an email obtained by Campbell, told Physicians for Social Responsibility that he submitted his health review of the DOH's completed study in early December. Translation: a completed review has sat in the DOH's hands for over two months.

Steingraber didn't mince words on what she feels are the webinar'simplications.

“The cursory and poorly informed content of Jackson’s January 9, 2012 one-hour, national webinar presentation undermines the credibility of the state’s review process, as it suggests that the materials provided to Dr. Jackson were dated and poorly sourced, rather than gleaned from up-to-the-minute peer-reviewed and independent scholarly reports,” she said. “By his own account, Jackson gave the presentation…after he finished his analysis of New York State’s health review.”

In short, the Cuomo Administration has postured as if the health review is incomplete, while the reality is that it's been finished since early December.

Thus, the decision at this point comes down to a pure political calculus. This is confirmed by The New York Times' reporter Danny Hakim, who wrote, “officials who have discussed the matter with the governor have said that his hesitation is principally political, not scientific.”

Activism Works, Too Early to “Pop Champagne Bottles”

New York serves as a case study: grassroots social movements can make a dent.

Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.

There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.